Ball with lighting device

ABSTRACT

A ball includes an inflatable inner sphere and a receiving tube is located in the inner sphere so that a lighting device is received in the receiving tube. An outer layer is coated to the inner sphere and has a plurality of holes defined therethrough. The lighting device includes a switch unit, a power unit, an activation unit and a lighting unit, wherein the switch unit and the activation unit are electrically connected with the power unit, and the lighting unit is electrically connected with the activation unit so that when the switch unit is activated, the lighting device lights up.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a ball with a lighting device receivedtherein which is activated by vibration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional sport such as tennis includes at least two players andeach player operates a tennis racket to hit a tennis ball fly over a netwhich is located at a mediate portion of a tennis court. The tennis balldoes not have any lighting feature so that if the players want to playtennis at night, the tennis court needs to have a lot of lightingfacilities to achieve the purpose. This is partially because theconventional tennis balls cannot be seen at night.

The present invention intends to provide a ball with a lighting devicereceived therein which includes a plurality of lighting members whichare activated by vibration. Therefore, when the players hit the ball,the lighting members light up.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a ball which comprises an inflatableinner sphere and a receiving tube is received in the inner sphere so asto receive a lighting device therein. An outer layer is coated to theinner sphere and has a plurality of holes defined therethrough so thatlight can be seen via the holes. The lighting device includes acylindrical case in which a switch unit, a power unit, an activationunit and a lighting unit are received. The switch unit and theactivation unit are electrically connected with the power unit. Thelighting unit is electrically connected with the activation unit so thatwhen the switch unit is activated, the power unit provides electricalpower to the lighting unit. The lighting device lights up when theactivation unit is activated.

The present invention will become more obvious from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswhich show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment inaccordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show the ball of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view to show that the lighting device and a partof the ball of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the lighting device received in theball of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows that the lighting unit of the lighting device is a LightEmitting Diode which is connected to a circuit board;

FIG. 5 shows that the lighting device is connected to the receivingtube, and

FIG. 6 shows that the lighting device includes a replaceable battery.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the ball 1 of the present invention comprisesan inflatable inner sphere 11 and a receiving tube 111 is engaged with abase 114 in the inner sphere 11 so as to receive a lighting device 2therein. The inner sphere 11 is made by transparent material such assilicon rubber, rubber, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) or the like. An outerlayer 12 is coated to the inner sphere 11 and has a plurality of holes121 defined therethrough so that the light can be seen via the holes121. A valve 112 is connected to the inner sphere 11 so as to introduceair into the inner sphere 11.

The lighting device 2 is received in the receiving tube 111 and includesa cylindrical case 21 in which a switch unit 22, a power unit 23, anactivation unit 24 and a lighting unit 25 are received. A cover 212 isconnected to the cylindrical case 21 to seal the cylindrical case 21.The receiving tube 111 includes an enlarged head 1111 and a sleeve 113is received in the enlarged head 1111. The sleeve 113 is located betweenthe receiving tube 111 and the cylindrical case 21. The sleeve 113 hastwo L-shaped slots 1131 and the cylindrical case 21 includes twoprotrusions 211 which are movably engaged with the L-shaped slots 1131so as to position the lighting device 2 in the receiving tube 111 asshown in FIG. 5. The switch unit 22 and the activation unit 24 areelectrically connected with the power unit 23, and the lighting unit 25is electrically connected with the activation unit 24 so that when theswitch unit 22 is pushed to activate the activation unit 24, the powerunit 23 provides electrical power to the lighting unit 25 and thelighting device 25 lights up.

The switch unit 22 includes a switch member 221, a spring 222, amounting member 223 and a button 224. The switch member 221 iselectrically connected with the power unity 23 so that when the button224 is pushed, the mounting member 223 compresses the spring 222 toactivate the switch member 221, and the mounting member 223 and thebutton 224 are then moved back by the spring 222. The power unit 23includes a first conductive member 231, a second conductive member 232and a replaceable battery 233. The first conductive member 231 iselectrically connected to the switch member 221 and the secondconductive member 232 is electrically connected to the activation unit24. The battery 233 is connected between the first conductive member 231and the second conductive member 232 so as to provide electrical powerto the lighting device 2.

The activation unit 24 includes a circuit board 241, a conductive disk242 and a spring 243. The circuit board 241 and the second conductivemember 232 of the power unit 23 and the lighting unit 25 areelectrically connected with the power unit 23. The circuit board 241includes an activation circuit (not shown) and the conductive disk 242and the spring 243 are connected to the activation circuit of thecircuit board 241. When the activation unit 24 is activated, the spring243 is shaken and in contact with the conductive disk 242 so as to lightup the lighting unit 25.

The lighting unit 25 includes a lighting member 252 which is connectedto the circuit board 251 having the activation unit 24. The lightingunit 25 includes at least one lighting member 252 which is connected tothe circuit board 251 which is electrically connected to the activationunit 24. The at least one lighting member 252 can be a Light EmittingDiode (LED) or a small lamp. The light unit 25 can also be a lightingmember which is directly connected to the circuit board 241 having theactivation unity 24 as shown in FIG. 4.

A spring 3 is located between a closed end 213 of the lighting device 2and a closed end 1112 of the receiving tube 111. The spring 3 biases thelighting unit 2 so that the protrusions 211 on the lighting unit 2 aresecurely engaged with the L-shaped slots 1131 in the receiving tube 111.

When in use, the user presses the button 224 of the lighting device 2and the switch member 221 is activated to set the lighting device 2 in“ON” status. When the ball is hit by the user either by hands, feet orratchets, the spring 243 of the activation unit 24 is shaken and incontact with the conductive disk 242 so as to activate the actioncircuit, and the lighting member 252 lights up. The light from thelighting member 252 can be single color or multiple colors, and can beflash type of consistent type. After a period of time, the lightingmember 252 stops lighting until the ball is hit by the user again. Ifthe button 224 is pressed second time, the switch member 221 sets thelighting device 2 to “OFF” status which means that the lighting devicedoes not work by vibration.

When the power provided by the battery 233 is not sufficient to drivethe activation unit 24, the battery 233 needs to be replaced with a newone. The user presses the lighting device 2 to rotate the lightingdevice 2 so that the protrusions 211 are disengaged from the L-shapedslots 1131, the lighting device 2 is then pushed upward by the spring 3.The cover 212 can be removed from the cylindrical case 21 and a newbattery 233 is installed.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art thatfurther embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

1. A ball comprising: an inflatable inner sphere and a receiving tubereceived in the inner sphere, an outer layer coated to the inner sphereand having a plurality of holes defined therethrough, and a lightingdevice received in the receiving tube and includes a cylindrical case inwhich a switch unit, a power unit, an activation unit and a lightingunit are received, the switch unit and the activation unit beingelectrically connected with the power unit, the lighting unit beingelectrically connected with the activation unit so that when the switchunit is activated, the power unit provides electrical power to thelighting unit, the lighting device lighting up when the activation unitis activated.
 2. The ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein a sleeve islocated between the receiving tube and the cylindrical case, the sleevehas two L-shaped slots, the cylindrical case includes two protrusionswhich are movably engaged with the L-shaped slots so as to position thelighting device in the receiving tube.
 3. The ball as claimed in claim2, wherein the receiving tube includes an enlarged head and the sleeveis received in the enlarged head.
 4. The ball as claimed in claim 1,wherein the switch unit includes a switch member, a spring, a mountingmember and a button, the switch member is electrically connected withthe power unity so that when the button is pushed, the mounting membercompresses the spring to activate the switch member, the mounting memberand the button are then moved back by the spring.
 5. The ball as claimedin claim 1, wherein the power unit includes a first conductive member, asecond conductive member and a battery.
 6. The ball as claimed in claim1, wherein the activation unit includes a circuit board, a conductivedisk and a spring, the circuit board and the lighting unit areelectrically connected with the power unit, the circuit board includesthe conductive disk and the spring connected thereto, when theactivation unit is activated, the spring is shaken and in contact withthe conductive disk so as to light up the lighting unit.
 7. The ball asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the lighting unit includes a lighting memberwhich is connected to the circuit board having the activation unit. 8.The ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lighting unit includes alighting member which is connected to the circuit board which iselectrically connected to the activation unit.
 9. The ball as claimed inclaim 2, wherein a spring is located between a closed end of thelighting device and a closed end of the receiving tube, the springbiasing the lighting unit so that the protrusions on the lighting unitare securely engaged with the L-shaped slots in the receiving tube.